Chapter 931: The Hidden [——] (2/2, Requesting Monthly Votes)

The man, though possessing the exact same appearance as the Seventh Prince, had a completely different aura—devoid of any trace of a superior's bearing, even lacking normal human reactions, appearing dull and sluggish.

"Hmph! Clean up the decoy. Don't leave any traces."

The Seventh Prince sneered, brushing past Niu Zuo as he entered the secret passage.

Watching the Seventh Prince's retreating figure, Niu Zuo's smile gradually faded.

He glanced at the sluggish decoy beside him and gave an order.

"Eat properly. Don't let anyone spot the flaw."

As his words ended, a dozen 【Ghoul Shadows】 suddenly burst from the shadows, frantically lunging at the Seventh Prince's decoy.

Before it could even scream, the decoy was devoured nearly to bones, collapsing to the ground.

Niu Zuo tossed the corpse onto the grand hall, then coldly smiled as the secret passage slowly sealed shut.

At the cost of the decoy, he gained access to the secret passage known only to the imperial family—this was the key to his plan.

And most importantly… a decoy doesn't have to remain a decoy forever!

A decoy infused with True Phoenix Bloodline can sometimes be truer than the real thing!

"The Seventh Prince's identity can be used to devastating effect when needed."

A flash of sharp light passed through his eyes, and Niu Zuo vanished into the secret passage.

…

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, you have lifted the curse 【Wu Yu】.

At the entrance to You Fu.

Fang Yue, whose left eye was human and right eye was a Weird Eye, closed his eyes once more to sense his current physical state, then slowly smiled.

The curse had vanished completely.

"The Wu Yu clan's curse—I slashed with this sword, spent thirty years of my lifespan, and you couldn't block it!"

Fang Yue's heart thrilled.

Though his lifespan had been violently drained like steam evaporating, the power of that single slash had freed him entirely from the shadow of Ma Ling'er's curse.

Finally, he no longer had to carry a black ring that could kill him at any moment.

As for the lost lifespan, his increased strength and the deaths of the Death Row Squad members had replenished it substantially—he wasn't truly drained.

But when Fang Yue opened his attribute list, he froze.

Because a new change had appeared on the status page.

Name: Yese Liming.

Realm: Yun-level Mid-Stage.

Weird Realm: Li-level High Stage 【100%】.

Spirit Root: Weird Spirit Root.

Status: Curse 【Mo Eye】.

Life Value: 110000/110000.

Internal Energy: 120000/120000.

Weird Value: 110000/600000.

Control Power: 200020 【Base: 200000】 【Status/Bonus: +20】.

Deflection Power: 200020 【Base: 200000】 【Status/Bonus: +20】.

Comprehension: 180. 【Special Attribute】

Talent: Night's Breath 【Human-level Upper Class】.

Weird Talent: Stilled World, Weird Ring.

Rain-level: Frozen Heart Method 【Fourth Layer】, Flowing Ice Step 【First Layer】, Empty Ice Sword Art 【Third Layer】.

Human-level Martial Art: Analysis Pupil 【Human-level Lower Class】.

Innate Martial Art: …

Acquired Martial Art: …

Lifespan: 53 years, 2 months.

Mo… Eye?

What is this?

In an instant, Fang Yue understood.

This curse was the same Unknown Ghost Curse 【——】 that had hung on him all along.

But this curse was so inconspicuous, always lingering in that unknown state, never truly manifesting, so Fang Yue had never taken it seriously.

Most importantly, though it had always clung to him, it had never inflicted any negative effects; over time, Fang Yue naturally stopped paying attention.

Unexpectedly, after resolving the Wu Yu clan's curse, he could now see what this curse truly was.

Previously, he had been unable to perceive it at all—only faint, blurred characters, never the actual curse name.

【It's the Mo Eye Curse! Fang Yue, you're in big trouble! Big trouble!】

As Fang Yue pondered what this thing was, the parchment skin suddenly surfaced, as if it knew something.

"What's this? Do you know the origin of this curse?"

【The old witch encountered the Mo Eye before, so I know. Its effect isn't lethal—in fact, it's harmless. The only problem is: whenever this curse appears, it means you've been marked by a Mo-level Weird!】

Mo-level Weird?!

Fang Yue was startled, his heart thudding.

That can't be right—I haven't provoked any Mo-level Weirds on my journey so far.

Don't tell me this is one of those "kill a small monster, attract the big one" tricks.

But that doesn't make sense—if the Mo-level Weird has already targeted me, why hasn't it shown up to kill me yet?

Besides, that's a Mo-level Weird! If even one of them appeared alive, wouldn't it shake the entire Qing Guo? How could there be not a single whisper about it?

Fang Yue's suspicious attitude instantly sparked Zhi Zhi's temper.

【I—I have no idea why! Maybe the Mo-level Weird that targeted you doesn't care about a mere ant like you. After all, the Demon Eye is just a mark, a skill only special Weirder can use—some are cast directly face-to-face as curses, others are set in specific locations with conditions that trigger the curse only when activated.】

【Even though you've been marked by the 【Demon Eye】, not every target of the Demon Eye is dealt with by the Mo-level Weird. It's merely a mark and a signal—it means that whenever the Mo-level Weird needs to, it can use its methods to find you!】

【Back when the old witch hadn't yet obtained the Linglong Eight Elephant Jade Flute, she didn't know how to avoid misfortune. After provoking a Mo-level Weird, she was immediately marked with the 【Demon Eye】. Even now, recalling those days of flight, Zhi Zhi still holds her breath for the old witch. Luckily, she eventually survived and attained Immortal Status—otherwise, all the worry Zhi Zhi went through would've been for nothing… In short, being marked by the 【Demon Eye】 is a very serious matter—don't be careless!】

Zhi Zhi spoke angrily, its tone sharp, yet every word carried concern for Fang Yue.

This warmed Fang Yue's heart. Though he and Zhi Zhi had originally been bound only by a contract, after all they'd been through, their bond was no longer merely contractual—it had become something far more intimate.

"A Mo-level Weird…?"

Fang Yue rubbed his chin, recalling carefully—the first time he saw the "——" curse mark was when he left Chunuan City and went on a rampage atop the Night Thief's mountain…

No—more accurately, it was shortly after he awakened his Spirit Root.

If the Demon Eye truly was a curse left by a Mo-level Weird, then it must have targeted his Spirit Root…

But wait—Zhi Zhi said the Demon Eye could be set in a specific location without the target present, and I merely triggered it—could I have been an innocent victim?

Fang Yue couldn't piece together any clear conclusion.

"If I return to Dongliu Mountain in Chunuan City, maybe I can uncover something."

There's an update tonight.

(End of Chapter)